Boston suffers from increasing numbers of heroin overdoses

Many experts believe that heroin is making a comeback. The drug, which is classified as an opiate, has seen recent increases in use resulting from the abuse of prescription medication such as Vicodin and Oxycontin.

For example, the Boston Public Health Commission recently announced that they have seen a spike in the number of heroin overdoses in the city in 2011, the Boston Herald reports.

Officials told the news provider that five people have already died in 2011 from apparent heroin overdose, compared to 16 and 21 in all of 2009 and 2010, respectively. The Commission has deployed additional street outreach staff to help connect with active users and provide information on overdose prevention.

Enrolling young individuals into troubled teen boarding schools can help provide education on the harmful effects that drug abuse can have on their developing bodies.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, nearly 1.2 percent of high school seniors use heroin.